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Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Question: In the Feb. 3 NY Post, columnist Peter Vescey defended his earlier reports that Al Harrington wanted to be traded to the Knicks. He even claimed that his detractors shouldn't rely on the local Pacer beat writer who's "often beaten to Pacer stories by the Post."

I've always wondered why Peter doesn't just write for the Star as he always seems to have all the inside info on our Pacers, lol. Any response? And have you talked to Al's agent, who apparently confirmed to Vescey Harrington's trade demands with the team? (Steve from Indianapolis)

Answer: First of all, the spelling is Vecsey, not Vescey. But I realize that accuracy always seems to go by the wayside when Vecsey's name comes up.

I didn't talk to Harrington's agent about this latest rumor. I talked to Harrington. I'd rather go straight to the source, and that's Harrington in this case. We've reported stories on Harrington's frustration with playing time for about three or four years now. His agent seems to be the type who pushes management for more, and Al has been caught up in it somewhat. He's been honest about his desire to start, but he's always continued to say he's willing to accept his current role.

As for Vecsey's claim that the beat writer is often beaten to local stories, that's ridiculous. He beats us to rumors and inaccuracies, but not to many facts. He probably would take credit for reporting Isiah Thomas was going to be the next Pacers coach at the end of Larry Bird's final season, but he went out on a limb for that one. The Star takes the more reputable approach of not publishing something unless we can put a source behind it. On the rare occasion we refer to an anonymous source, you can be certain it's a primary source and not some guy off the street.

Rick Carlisle was interviewed for the job after Vecsey reported Thomas would be the next coach, so it was premature. Everyone realized, and we reported, that Thomas was the frontrunner, but it wasn't a done deal. He just happened to guess right on that occasion. Thomas told me later he nearly backed out of the running because it was taking so long for him to unload the CBA.

Vecsey was a close friend of Thomas' at the time because they worked together in broadcasting, and he in fact promoted Isiah for the job with the Pacers. That's not something a journalist should be doing, but then Vecsey hasn't been regarded as a journalist in years.

Sports Illustrated wrote a feature on Pete and his brother George a few years back and told of how Pete had Julius Erving as the best man at his wedding and took a personal loan from the Nets' owner when he bought a house. Those are major ethical violations for a journalist.

Just give me $5 for every incorrect Vecsey report and I'd be retired and living on an island. The Harrington rumor is only the latest example. Last year he had Austin Croshere as part of a three-team trade on the day of the trade deadline. He once had the Pacers trading for Chris Weber. He had the Pacers trading for Dikembe Mutombo when Mutombo was in Atlanta. (The Star, unfortunately, fell for that one.) He once had Derrick McKey going to New Jersey. See the pattern?

You can call this "beating the beat writer" if you like, but I'd call it looking like a fool. And, of the few trades the Pacers have made in recent years, I don't recall him having the break on any of them.

Vecsey is the primary example of the modern approach to tabloid journalism, as is his paper, the New York Post. Accuracy means nothing. It's all about generating a headline that attracts attention. It's worked for him in that he's become more famous and wealthy than most journalists, but you have to sell your soul to do it. It's all about what you're willing to sacrifice, I guess.

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

"It's just unfortunate that we've been penalized so much this year and nothing has happened to the Pistons, the Palace or the city of Detroit," he said. "It's almost like it's always our fault. The league knows it. They should be ashamed of themselves to let the security be as lax as it is around here."

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Cat fight ed:

Why didn't the "Pacers' beat writer" go to Al's agent as well? ...Or how about going to Pacers management?

Perhaps he went to the one party who he knew would give him the answer he wanted? I'm not sure any of them would've given him the straight story with the liberty to go public with it. OTOH, I think you could rest assured Al would be the least likely to confirm it.... and why would that be the end of the story?

So, I am not impressed with Montieth's firing back. It has about as many holes in it as what he accuses Vecsey of IMHO.

The truth is, the Star doesn't break much if any team news.

-Bball

Nuntius was right. I was wrong. Frank Vogel has retained his job.

------

"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, thatís teamwork."

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Great reply! I especially liked the go straight to the horse's mouth not the horse's a**, er horse's agent! Why would a journalist go to an agent instead of the player anyway? Is it because the journalist doesn't have access to the player? Or is it because the agent will give the journalist the headline? It sure does seem that Vecsey is wrong a lot more than he's right.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
- Benjamin Franklin

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Interesting. I often defend Vescey or is it Vecsey I enjoy reading his columns. He has a ton of sources and he has been doing this for 25 years. Do I take everything he says as gospel, No. But I do pay attention to what he writes.

Montieth, I remember starting a thread last May about how the "Star" never breaks a story. But last summer he broke a couple, I specifically remember being surprised, I think he broke the Brad Miller trade to Sac and maybe the early J.O signing. I think.

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

The pacers beat columnist for the star. Mark Montieth. A former employee of the Indiana Pacers.

I have always just considered Montieth an extension of the Pacers P.R. department.

When did he work for the Pacers? What did he do?

I don't agree with you, I don't think Mark is just an extension of the Pacers PR department in any way.

Pick up your 94 or 95 team book & you will see the Mark Montieth as one of the people who wrote the book. It's been awhile since I've listed this so to be honest with you I forget his actual title with the team.

Btw, for the record. I don't agree with you. I think of Mark as just an extension of the Pacers PR department in every way. :P

Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Answer: First of all, the spelling is Vecsey, not Vescey. But I realize that accuracy always seems to go by the wayside when Vecsey's name comes up.

I thought that was one of the funniest lines ever from Mark.

I think Mark is completely justified being angry about being compared to Vecsey. As Mark points out the two of them do work from two sets of standards and Vecsey's standards aren't journalistically ethical. And that is the bottomline Mark shouldn't print what Vecsey would because he would be ruining his and the Stars crediblity. You may think that the Star and Mark's coverage are crap. That's fine but at least they print aren't widely believed to be untrue as is the case with Vecsey and the NY post.

I don't think that Mark is an extension of the Pacer's PR and believe he does a good job. But what would Mark have to do to prove he isn't part of the "Donnie conspiracy".

"They could turn out to be only innocent mathematicians, I suppose," muttered Woevre's section officer, de Decker.

"'Only.'" Woevre was amused. "Someday you'll explain to me how that's possible. Seeing that, on the face of it, all mathematics leads, doesn't it, sooner or later, to some kind of human suffering."

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

The pacers beat columnist for the star. Mark Montieth. A former employee of the Indiana Pacers.

I have always just considered Montieth an extension of the Pacers P.R. department.

When did he work for the Pacers? What did he do?

I don't agree with you, I don't think Mark is just an extension of the Pacers PR department in any way.

Pick up your 94 or 95 team book & you will see the Mark Montieth as one of the people who wrote the book. It's been awhile since I've listed this so to be honest with you I forget his actual title with the team.

Btw, for the record. I don't agree with you. I think of Mark as just an extension of the Pacers PR department in every way. :P

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Before Mark came to The Star, I believe he covered the Pacers for the Fort Wayne newspaper.

So I'm thinking, we've got some posters on this forum from Ft. Wayne that I'd prefer to read over Montieth.

I said this on a thread before the "fire", but I think Montieth is even more of an exention of the Pacers PR department when he does his little Q&A. I imagine that his actual published work is held to a higher standard than that Q&A. But when has Montieth ever questioned anything the Pacers have done? Its one thing to just be a neutral reporter. But his silence on certain topics is as disturbing as his pro-management slant on other topics.

Remember, all the stories about Isiah being on the hot seat during last year's playoffs came from the Boston press, because if Isiah performed like he did last year for any other team in any other city, he might not have been around to coach game #2. But Montieth just kept repeating the company line - he didn't want to step on any toes.

I didn't always like Conrad and David Benner as beat reporters because I thought they were too negative during the early 1990s. Remember when Conrad wrote that nasty article about Tank and then came into the 'closed' lockerroom to apologize - Chuck told him to leave and when he didn't Chuck picked him up and stuffed him in the trashcan over at NIFS? That's about the only time in my life I've been supportive of violence. ed: But Montieth is trying so hard to be cozy with management that those seem like the good old days.

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

I don't know about David Benner but Bill Benner (his brother) was the one who was the reporter for the Star in the 90's. He disappeared with Robin Miller after Gannett bought out Central Newspapers.

David may have been with the Indianapolis News earlier.

David Benner was the Pacers' beat writer for The Star during the late eighties/ early nineties. Conrad was over at The News. When they combined editorial departments, Conrad became the "columnist." I think David left the Star around 1995, I believe his first season as a Pacers employee was the year that famous ball hog from Chicago made his "return" at MSA.

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Before Mark came to The Star, I believe he covered the Pacers for the Fort Wayne newspaper.

So I'm thinking, we've got some posters on this forum from Ft. Wayne that I'd prefer to read over Montieth.

I don't think either the Ft. Wayne Journal or News-Sentinal have covered the Pacers any further then AP reports. I moved from Ft. Wayne in 2000 and up till then....The Pacers were not covered by radio, TV (unless national), nor had a beat writer that covered the Pacers. As far as the media up there is concerned...The Pacers might as well be the Missouri Pacers for the lack of coverage up in N.E. Indiana.

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Before Mark came to The Star, I believe he covered the Pacers for the Fort Wayne newspaper.

So I'm thinking, we've got some posters on this forum from Ft. Wayne that I'd prefer to read over Montieth.

I don't think either the Ft. Wayne Journal or News-Sentinal have covered the Pacers any further then AP reports. I moved from Ft. Wayne in 2000 and up till then....The Pacers were not covered by radio, TV (unless national), nor had a beat writer that covered the Pacers. As far as the media up there is concerned...The Pacers might as well be the Missouri Pacers for the lack of coverage up in N.E. Indiana.

It has gotten a little better up here - the Indy teams are AT THE SAME level as the Chicago teams. When I first moved up here in 92 - I thought I had moved to a suburb of Chicago - all Bears and Bulls. Of course I can't totally blame the local media - neither the Colts or the Pacers do any sort of marketing campaign up here - no radio, tv, newspaper, billboards - nothing. That's too bad.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
- Benjamin Franklin

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Before Mark came to The Star, I believe he covered the Pacers for the Fort Wayne newspaper.

So I'm thinking, we've got some posters on this forum from Ft. Wayne that I'd prefer to read over Montieth.

Perhaps he's from Ft. Wayne, instead of what I said above.

The other half of that statment is true, regardless.

Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
And life itself, rushing over me
Life itself, the wind in black elms,
Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Before Mark came to The Star, I believe he covered the Pacers for the Fort Wayne newspaper.

So I'm thinking, we've got some posters on this forum from Ft. Wayne that I'd prefer to read over Montieth.

I don't think either the Ft. Wayne Journal or News-Sentinal have covered the Pacers any further then AP reports. I moved from Ft. Wayne in 2000 and up till then....The Pacers were not covered by radio, TV (unless national), nor had a beat writer that covered the Pacers. As far as the media up there is concerned...The Pacers might as well be the Missouri Pacers for the lack of coverage up in N.E. Indiana.

It has gotten a little better up here - the Indy teams are AT THE SAME level as the Chicago teams. When I first moved up here in 92 - I thought I had moved to a suburb of Chicago - all Bears and Bulls. Of course I can't totally blame the local media - neither the Colts or the Pacers do any sort of marketing campaign up here - no radio, tv, newspaper, billboards - nothing. That's too bad.

Thats good to know that the coverage up there is getting better up there. I remember trying to start conversations with anyone on the Pacers up in the Fort and just finding the Bulls fans or NBA hot team bandwagoners. I remember being a kid that the local cable system carried WTTV 4 and had Pacer games, and the local AM blowtorch use to carry the Pacers, but at that time...the Pacers were dreadful and didn't bring a return on their dollars. Recently, there was an article in the Star about why there is not any radio coverage in the Fort, and they came up with the fact that the AM blowtorch up there that the Pacers want their radio network broadcasted on already does the minor league hockey games and the Komets pay for their broadcast where the Pacers do not. So, it is nice to know that things up that way are getting better, but it was so sickening when the Pacers were hitting their stride in the 90's to have no one to want to talk about the Pacers....Just the Bulls!!!

Thank You NBA league Pass and Star/News Forum for giving this fan a chance to be a fan!

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

It has gotten better up here. At lest now they mention the Pacers in the Journal. (I dont ever read it but I see it in the stores and sometimes there is a Pacer logo on the banner)

WOWO wont carry them because of the Komets. (minor league hokey) but that does not mean that 1250 will if they are still on the air.

But yes it was bad up here for Pacer coverage for a long time. I knew a lot more about the Pistons growing up here than the Pacers. Supposedly that new WB station is going to carry the games next year but that would suck because it is cable only and I have the dish.

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

It has gotten better up here. At lest now they mention the Pacers in the Journal. (I dont ever read it but I see it in the stores and sometimes there is a Pacer logo on the banner)

WOWO wont carry them because of the Komets. (minor league hokey) but that does not mean that 1250 will if they are still on the air.

But yes it was bad up here for Pacer coverage for a long time. I knew a lot more about the Pistons growing up here than the Pacers. Supposedly that new WB station is going to carry the games next year but that would suck because it is cable only and I have the dish.

Yeah, I know when I was there...1250 was the local radio station for the Fury (The best CBA team to ever lace em up )and they were under the same deal as the Komets...They paid for their games to be broadcasted.

As for the Pistons, I was always aware of the Pistons because of my grandfather being a huge Zollner (Ft. Wayne) Pistons fan and having lots of memoriabilia. I was constantly reminded that the Pistons use to play their home games in my high school's gym (Fort Wayne North Side) before their move to the Coliseum and then onto Detroit. Back in the 80's and early 90's I could remember there have always been a closer association with the Pistons then the Pacers in the Fort because of the Pistons birth in the Fort. I wish they would go back to having that preseason game in the Fort between the Pistons and the Pacers.

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

It has gotten better up here. At lest now they mention the Pacers in the Journal. (I dont ever read it but I see it in the stores and sometimes there is a Pacer logo on the banner)

WOWO wont carry them because of the Komets. (minor league hokey) but that does not mean that 1250 will if they are still on the air.

But yes it was bad up here for Pacer coverage for a long time. I knew a lot more about the Pistons growing up here than the Pacers. Supposedly that new WB station is going to carry the games next year but that would suck because it is cable only and I have the dish.

Don't worry about the WB channel - DirecTV is getting us local channels later this year.

Also if you switch to a HD DirecTV system there is a way to get the local channels (including HD) through the receiver. The WB channel is going to be a HD channel. They have been testing it and they had a couple of programs on it the other night. Plus there is nothing like watching sports in HD - it is very cool.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
- Benjamin Franklin

Re: Montieth "fires back" at Vecsey

Don't worry about the WB channel - DirecTV is getting us local channels later this year.

Also if you switch to a HD DirecTV system there is a way to get the local channels (including HD) through the receiver. The WB channel is going to be a HD channel. They have been testing it and they had a couple of programs on it the other night. Plus there is nothing like watching sports in HD - it is very cool.

I agree about HD sports.... BUT.... getting local HD via sat isn't quite as easy. Right now CBS has a natl east and west coast Directv HD feed. I think FOX will shortly (and they will be broadcasting in HD shortly). But those are natl feeds not local. Also, to be able to receive these feeds (legally) you have to either be served by a CBS and/or FOX owned and operated station or not served by any over the air FOX or CBS at all.

IOW, if you can pick up your local FOX or CBS with an antenna (doesn't matter if you HAVE an antenna or not) then you can't get the natl HD feed via Directv (unless FOX or CBS owns the local station). It also doesn't matter if your local station is or is not broadcasting in HD.

....CAVEAT... unless you can get yout local to give you a waiver.

Now, maybe ABC/WB etc will want in on this action as well but the same rules will apply.

I'm not sure when/if HD locals would be on Directv. They use a lot of bandwidth compared to what is there now (and DTV is compressing things mightily anyway).

So even if WB HD natl was on satellite that doesn't get you a Pacers game broadcast on WB 4... And right now WB4 isn't broadcasting HD Pacers games anyway so it is a double whammy against it.

Things change fast these days but that is how it was last time I looked.

The best bet to get Digital locals is a good antenna, a digital rcvr, and an HDTV to view it.

-Bball

Nuntius was right. I was wrong. Frank Vogel has retained his job.

------

"A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, thatís teamwork."

Larry is not coming back, he didn't have a meeting with Orlando for not reason, yeah he is coming back to the NBA but not to the Pacers, the notion that he is a taking a year off and then come back is absurd.